A SIKH accused of chasing another man up the road brandishing a 3ft ceremonial sword has gone on trial at Coventry Crown Court.

Gurmeet Singh Kullar, aged 49, of Edgwick Road, Edgwick, Coventry, yesterday denied charges of affray and making a threat to kill when trouble flared at a Sikh temple in Coventry Street, Stoke, Coventry.

Kullar is alleged to have turned his car round in the road and driven up on the kerb after spotting 21-year-old student Jagjeet Singh Rihal on June 4 this year.

Prosecuting, Kevin Hegarty said: "Mr Rihal had just left the temple in Coventry Street and was walking into Shakespeare Street when Kullar drew up in his car and issued a threat.

"Mr Kullar then got out, opened the boot of his car and produced a 3ft-long ceremonial sword, which he raised and swung down towards Mr Rihal, who managed to duck out of the way.

"Mr Rihal then ran back to the temple in Coventry Street with the defendant chasing after him until he reached the gates of the car park, where others were standing."

Mr Hegarty said that, on seeing the group outside the gates of the Guru Hargobind Sahib Gudwara, Kullar gave up the chase and turned back the way he had come.

A few minutes later, he drove past the gates in his car and, speaking in Punjabi, issued a threat to "kill them all tonight and chop them into little pieces."

The jury heard that the incident happened at about 9.30pm. The police were called and Kullar was arrested during the early hours of the following morning.

Defence barrister Janet Newman told the court there had been problems at the temple when a new committee had effectively taken over from an old committee.

She said that on May 27, eight days before the incident involving Mr Kullar, police had been called to the temple after the old committee tried to regain control.

The attempt had failed and, as a result, the defendant and others had been refused entry to the temple on several occasions. She said police had been called to keep guard at the temple throughout the days leading up to the incident.

Miss Newman said it had not been Mr Kullar with the ceremonial sword but the group of people standing at the gates.